AWARDS GUIDELINES

1. Mission

The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards recognize, celebrate and promote professional theatre artists and organizations of all sizes in Saskatoon and surrounding area (up to a 100km radius). The core activity through which this is fulfilled is an annual awards program that involves Saskatoon’s professional theatre community in a juried selection process.

2. Background

a) The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards Ceremony (“The Gala”) is an event that allows the public and the theatre community to recognize and celebrate the excellent professional theatre that takes place on Saskatoon’s stages throughout the year as well as the artists and companies that create that work.

b) The Awards strive to be a positive influence in the advancement of professional theatre in Saskatoon and surrounding area through promotion and advocacy.

c) The administration of the Awards is the responsibility of the Steering Committee.

d) The Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards Season runs September 1st to August 31st annually.

3. Production Registration

a) The SATA Committee does not contact producing theatres to invite/remind them to register their productions for the awards. It is each theatre’s responsibility to fill out the SATAwards Application Form if the company wishes to have its work assessed by the jury.

b) A non-refundable administrative fee of $15 per production will apply to all 2018/19 productions

c) Upon receipt of the Production Registration Form and administrative fee, the Steering Committee will assess whether the production is eligible for SATAward consideration. The SATA jury will be instructed to attend all eligible productions.

d) The Production Registration Form must be submitted at least twenty-five (25) days prior to the first public performance of the production.

4. Production Eligibility

a) Eligible productions must be professional theatre productions. The Awards define a professional theatre production as one in which fifty percent (50%) OR five (5) members — whichever is the lesser — of the creative and production teams (actors, directors, choreographers, stage managers, designers, playwrights) are engaged under a CAEA, ADC, or PGC approved contract/agreement. (This includes Equity co-ops and self-engagement by professional artists.) If no such agreement applies, the production will be defined as professional if 51% of the participating artists are being paid a living wage (minimum of $250 per week).

b) Eligible Productions must be open to the general public and run for at least seven (7) performances over a minimum of two (2) weekends.

c) Eligible Productions must run either in the city of Saskatoon or within a 100km radius of Saskatoon.

d) Productions from outside Saskatoon and area that are being presented (i.e., purchased/brought in from elsewhere and performed in Saskatoon and area) are ONLY eligible in a specific ‘Presentation’ category at the discretion of the jury.  Presenters are still required to register these productions should they wish to participate. This does not include co-productions involving Saskatoon companies, or presentations of locally-produced work, which are eligible in all award categories.

e) If a production does not meet the above criteria, an exemption may be granted based on unique circumstances. A case must be made on the Production Registration Form for the waiving of certain criteria. The SATA Committee will assess the application and may deem the production eligible with two thirds (2/3) majority of the vote. Please submit applications in a timely way so that special requests can be discussed by the Steering Committee.

f) The SATAwards jury cannot be asked to assess work from other disciplines, such as film or visual art.  If such work comprises a distinct and separate part of an interdisciplinary production, only the theatre elements of that production will be assessed.  “Theatre” is defined as a performance given by one or more persons who are physically present in the space.  Film, visual art, and other art forms that are an integrated part of the live performance will be considered design/production elements and will be assessed accordingly.  It is the responsibility of the producer to determine the eligibility of these elements by consulting with the Steering Committee before the jury attends the production.

g) We are unable to adjudicate Fringe shows due to the nature of a Fringe Theatre run and our inability to fairly accommodate and coordinate this with the juries.

h) For reproductions and remounts of eligible productions, only previously un-assessed or new elements will be deemed eligible for recognition. It is the Steering Committee’s responsibility to make known to the Jury any previously assessed elements in a reproduction or remount.

i) Presenting companies agree to provide one (1) complimentary ticket to each eligible production for each Jury member. A second (companion) ticket may be provided as space permits, to be determined by the producer. Jurors who would like a second ticket must request it at the time of booking their own ticket. Complimentary tickets for jurors are not transferable and may be used only by current SATAWards jury members.

j) Presenting companies agree to provide a single contact at their company to be a liaison to the Awards, and to distribute Awards information to staff and artists as needed.

5. Award Categories

There can be multiple recipients in a category, or no nominees in a category, at the discretion of the jury.

a) Outstanding Achievement in Production — all eligible productions may be considered for this award, including productions of new plays, musicals, and productions brought from out of town.

b) Outstanding Achievement in Direction — all directors from any play or musical production are eligible. In the event a production has more than one director they are eligible as a group.

c) Outstanding Achievement in Performance — all performances (male, female, leading, supporting) from any play or musical production are eligible.

d) Outstanding Achievement in Design — all designers from any play or musical production are eligible. This includes set, costumes, lighting, and sound/composition.

e) Outstanding Achievement in Playwriting (New Work) — awarded to the playwright of a new play or musical that premieres in Saskatoon and area. This means no full production can have occurred prior. Co produced works are eligible as new plays whether the first opening is in Saskatoon or in a partner city. If the play was workshopped elsewhere or performed in an incomplete version or without an admission charge (as in a workshop production) it is still eligible in this category. In the event a play has more than one playwright they are eligible as a group.

f) Outstanding Emerging Artist — this can include any artistic discipline in Theatre, such as scenic design, sound design, performance, choreography etc. The SATAwards define “Emerging” as a person who has no more than 5 (five) credits in productions that have been assessed by a SATAwards jury.

6. Special Award Categories

The jury has the authority to create a new category or categories as needed in order to reflect their own assessment of the work they have seen.

a) Some examples might be Outstanding Ensemble, Puppetry, Mime, Musical Direction, Projections, or anything else the Jury thinks is worthy of recognizing but which may not happen frequently enough to warrant its own category.

b) The category “Significant Artistic Achievement” may also be used as an ‘umbrella’ heading to nominate accomplishments that fall outside the five standard categories.

c) Most Special Award Categories are implemented upon recommendation of the Jury.

d) One Special Award is adjudicated by the Steering Committee:  the SATAward for Innovation (formerly the Jury’s Award for Innovation).

7. Henry Woolf Continuing Achievement Award

a) Named after Henry Woolf, one of Saskatoon’s most accomplished theatre artists, the award honours an individual or group in the Saskatoon area for outstanding contribution, dedication, and achievement within the theatre community. Eligible recipients will have shown a significant contribution to theatre in Saskatoon and area. There is no limitation placed on to whom this Award may be presented (directors, performers, administrators, stage managers, technicians, patrons, etc).

b) The Award Recipient is selected by the Steering Committee.

c) The Steering Committee will accept nominations in writing (including email) from the public and from the theatre community.

d) The deadline for nominations will be August 31 of each year unless otherwise announced in any given year.

e) Upon selection of the Recipient, the Steering Committee will announce the Recipient in advance of the Awards Ceremony.

8. Jury

a) The Jury attends Eligible Productions throughout the year and meets after the end of the theatre season. At that meeting the Jury members will collectively decide who will receive recognition in each of the categories. Members of the Steering Committee will be present to mediate the selection process.

b) The Steering Committee will select a minimum of eight (8) or a maximum of ten (10) members for the Jury from the theatre community and its patrons, and will accept input and advice from the Presenting Companies and the theatre community as a whole. The Jury is chosen to reflect a balance of different disciplines, ages, experience and genders.

c) Members of the theatre community may voice their interest in joining the Jury at any time to any member of the Steering Committee.

d) Jury members may serve two (2) consecutive seasons on the Jury.

e) Jury members are volunteers and receive no compensation for their work.

f) The Steering Committee will attempt to ensure that the Jury remains as anonymous as possible. Their names will be provided to the Presenting Companies’ box offices for the purpose of booking tickets to eligible productions, and to other members of the Jury (since they will be meeting at the end of the theatre season). Pursuant to provincial and federal privacy and information protection legislation, Jurors’ names and contact details will be provided to no one else unless deemed necessary by the Steering Committee. Jury members have the right to make their participation in the jury known if they choose, but we ask that they not reveal the names of fellow Jury members since some may wish to have their involvement unknown.

g) Jury members are instructed to attend as many Eligible Productions as possible. Jury members must see seventy-five percent (75%) of the Eligible Productions in order for their input to count.

h) If a jury member is unable to attend a production, her/his complimentary tickets may not be transferred to an individual who is not on the jury.  Complimentary tickets may be used by current jury members only.

9. Steering Committee and Questions or Comments

a) The Steering Committee oversees all operations and administration of the Awards.

b) Steering Committee members are volunteers and receive no compensation for their work.

c) The Steering Committee will meet as needed to discuss the operations and administration of the Awards.

d) Steering Committee members are chosen to reflect a balance of different disciplines, ages, experience and genders. Skill sets of potential members are also taken in to heavy consideration.

e) The Steering Committee is charged with replenishing its retiring members with new members who can serve to fill vacated duties of the Committee. Five (5) to nine (9) has been deemed the optimal number of Steering Committee members.

f) Members of the theatre community may voice their interest in joining the Steering Committee at any time to any member of the Steering Committee.

g) New members may be voted onto the Steering Committee with a majority vote by the current Steering Committee members.

h) Questions or comments about any aspect of the Awards can be posed directly to any Steering Committee member.

i) Information about recipients, the Ground Rules of the Awards, and all applications can be found by contacting the Steering Committee through Aaron Hursh.